title: Primary headaches, attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities in children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary headaches and Learning difficulties are both common in the pediatric population. The goal of our study was to assess the prevalence of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder in children and adolescents with migraine and tension type headaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of medical records of children and adolescents who presented with headache to the outpatient pediatric neurology clinics of Bnai-Zion Medical Center and Meyer Children's Hospital, Haifa, during the years 2009-2010. Demographics, Headache type, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities and academic achievements were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  243 patients met the inclusion criteria and were assessed: 135 (55.6%) females and 108 (44.4%) males. 44% were diagnosed with migraine (35.8% of the males, 64.2% of the females, p = 0.04), 47.7% were diagnosed with tension type headache (50.4% of the males, 49.6% of the females). Among patients presenting with headache for the first time, 24% were formerly diagnosed with learning disabilities and 28% were diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). ADHD was more prevalent among patients with tension type headache when compared with patients with migraine (36.5% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.006). Poor to average school academic performance was more prevalent among children with tension type headache, whereas good to excellent academic performance was more prevalent among those with migraine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Learning disabilities and ADHD are more common in children and adolescents who are referred for neurological assessment due to primary headaches than is described in the general pediatric population. There is an association between headache diagnosis and school achievements.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Department, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. genizij@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Genizi
authors.forename: Shiri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Nogah C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Kerem
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Srugo
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shahar
authors.forename: Sarit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies